Apple has updated its App Store review guidelines to allow for "approved" virtual currencies in apps, paving the way for new types of currencies to be traded and maintained on iOS devices, reportsReuters.

11.17 Apps may facilitate transmission of approved virtual currencies provided that they do so in compliance with all state and federal laws for the territories in which the app functions.

The move is interesting given Apple's past tendencies to remove and deny apps that promote virtual currencies, namely those having to do with the popular Bitcoin currency. Last year, Apple notably required the developers behind private messaging app Gliph to remove the app's Bitcoin sending capabilities, or face deletion from the App Store.

Apple's actions on Gliph also shed light on the company's overall relationship with Bitcoin apps. It was reported that Apple had told a number of developers behind Bitcoin-related apps that their apps contained content "that is not legal in all the locations in which the app is available," and were non-compliant with Apple's policies.

However, with Apple's new App Store guidelines on the matter, it is now possible that apps like Gliph could indefinitely allow for virtual currencies like Bitcoin to be traded. While it is ultimately up to Apple as what is allowed in its apps, the company's updated policy marks a completely new position on the issue of virtual currencies.

Top Rated Comments

Been on the btc bandwagon for 1.5years now and was not happy with Apple's anti-bitcoin stance. Blockchain-app has been doing ok for my irl-purchases, but with this I expect some nice features in future apps. Will be interesting to see how it ends up, Apple has to know that bitcoin might eat some of their 30% markup, but being left out might suck even more...

There was never an anti-bitcoin stance, you've just been to r/bitcoin too much.

Since you are on the bandwagon, could you please explain? I don't understand the point of bitcoin as opposed to any other currency. With PayPal or credit card I can already pay for anything I want online. What does bitcoin get me? The only thing I have seen so far is a Ponzi pyramid type problem where people who get them early are trying to make money off them versus using them as actual currency. Now I will admit that in general I am clueless of this thing called bitcoin so my perception could be off, so please don't go after my ignorance (as I admit to it readily), but please tell me why I should leverage this new currency and what its value is to me as a consumer. Thank you.

Right now, you are right. It's not as convenient as a credit card to you. The only advantage I can think of is that if you wanted to buy something online, you can just push a button and send the person bitcoin, instead of having to create an account and put in your credit card info and billing address. If you don't trust the person you are paying then you don't have to worry about them stealing your credit card number. Another advantage to you right now might be just to have it as an investment. It might be worth more next year.

The real benefits right now are for merchants, who don't have to pay credit card processing fees and don't have to worry about chargebacks or fraud. If you were an etsy seller then you would make more money accepting bitcoin. Because of that, you might see merchants offer a discount for paying with bitcoin in the future.

For people who are not you, there are much greater benefits. If you wanted to send money overseas, it's an expensive complicated process. With bitcoin, it's instant and free. Also, not everyone in every country has a stable local currency, or access to the kind of banking that you have. Those people might not be able to get a credit card. Bitcoin could be a big deal for them.

Bitcoin is really a big promise. Banks around the world are complicated and sending money between them is expensive. There are loads of different currencies. Bitcoin could be a global currency accepted anywhere in the world. Credit cards today are expensive for merchants and terrible for fraud and theft. In the age of the internet, Visa is an unnecessary middleman that bitcoin could do away with.

Anyway... That's a taste of why people are jumping on the bandwagon. In technology, when someone invents a more efficient way to do something, it puts the other guys out of business. The hope is that bitcoin can disrupt finance in the same way, because it really is cheaper and more efficient.

That's just a taste. It's also really amazing to me how the currency works and how it is secured. It's an amazing accomplishment for encryption and networking. That's why some people are excited about it from a purely tech angle.

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